THE Communist Party concluded a high-level anti-corruption plenum yesterday with a warning that failure to stop corrupt influences would shake the party's rule and undermine modernisations, according to official reports.

The call for a sense of urgency was issued at the end of a six-day plenum of the Communist Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's main supervisory organ.

According to a communique on the conference carried by Xinhua (the New China News Agency), the delegates emphasised the anti-corruption struggle was ''long, arduous and urgent''.

While noting the ''main trend among the ranks of the party is good'', it warned that ''negative and corrupt manifestations grow and spread in some areas''.

''If the negative and corrupt elements are not resolutely overcome, they will ruin our party, ruin our people's government and ruin our modernisation cause.'' Local and government departments across the nation are expected to launch anti-graft campaigns soon.

The ruling party is facing increasing resistance from regions over central orders, and public anger over official corruption and the rampant growth of social evils.

In its communique, the party underscored the importance of supervising and checking the implementation of measures formulated by the party central committee and the State Council for enhancing macro economic regulation.

''It is necessary to resolutely investigate and penalise those seriously violating the principle of democratic centralism, such as disregarding orders and prohibitions,'' it said.

''This is to make sure all policies and orders are implemented to the letter and to safeguard the authority of the party central committee and the State Council.'' Senior officials were told to take the lead in observing ''clean'' standards and self-discipline, and in abiding by the ''don'ts'' spelled out by the party.

It had ordered party and government cadres not to engage in private business, give preferential treatment to relatives or friends in commercial activities, receive money from companies, trade in securities, or accept gifts from businesses.

The party called on leading cadres to ''rely on the masses'' in the anti-corruption drive but warned against the launching of ''mass campaigns'' which were so prevalent in the communist history.

It described the anti-corruption drive as a ''political task'' that must be grasped at all levels.

''We are convinced the party will effectively check and eliminate corruption by relying on its own strength and on the people's support, and turn China into a prosperous, strong, democratic and civilised socialist modern state,'' the communique concluded.

Authorities in Guangdong province have pledged to target high-level officials in a clampdown on economic crime, the China News Service reported.

Mai Congkai, president of the province's municipal level courts, called for all corrupt cases to be investigated no matter who they involved.

''In the eyes of the law, everyone must be equal,'' the report cited Mr Mai as saying, adding investigators should withstand pressure to drop certain cases.